Artists of the Aga Khan Music Initiative Ensemble present Contemporary Music from the East
With Homayoun Sakhi, Salar Nader, and special guest, Wu Man

The Aga Khan Music Initiative Ensemble is a collective of master musicians who create new music inspired by their own deep roots in the cultural heritage of the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin, South Asia, Central Asia, West Africa, and China. This special performance features three master musicians from the ensemble: Homayoun Sakhi, master performer of the Afghan rubâb; Salar Nader, virtuosic tabla player; and Wu Man, world-renowned pipa player. These three unparalleled musicians link countries and continents, and present and past, through their explorations of diverse forms of classical, folk, and contemporary concert music.

Hyderabad: The Paigah Tombs that are decorated in stucco work and represent Mughul, Greek, Persian, Asafjahi, Rajasthani and Deccani styles, have no parallel in the city in terms of style of architecture.

Cosmetic changes in the past

The Archaeo-logy Department took up the protection of this place in 1990
Some settlers were evicted from inside the compound in 2009
Beautification work was done but no repair work for biodiversity conference in 2012
However, now after almost 200 years, those historical relics are going to get a fresh lease of life. As part of the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry, these tombs come under the heritage circuit in Hyderabad and Rs 4.10 crore has been sanctioned for bringing back to the old grandeur to the tombs.

Lying in a derelict state, these tombs near Santosh Nagar could easily replicate the success story of Humayun Tomb in Delhi that now attracts more than 10 lakh tourists after renovation. Telangana Department of Archaeology & Museums (DAM) director N R Visalatchi says, “Unlike other monuments, the Paigah Tombs have intricate design that include jalli work on walls and doors and stucco work of very high quality.

The conservation part is being undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the amenities for the interpretation systems such as lighting, pathways, compound wall, landscaping and other facilities for tourists would be done by the Archaeology department.

Speaking with The Express Tribune, Aga Khan Trust for Culture Pakistan CEO Salman Beg said that the festival brought out amazing display of rich and important historical features of our heritage. “It was conducive to provide the international delegates with a picture of what efforts AKTC and WCLA are jointly making in preserving the heritage. We hope that next year’s conference attendees will get to see more case studies being presented on preservation of heritage,” Beg added.

LAHORE - The newly restored Chowk of Wazir Khan Mosque was officially opened by the U.S. Consul General Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau here the other day.

Funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), the project has been completed at a cost of $1.19 million.

Director General of the Walled City of Lahore Authority Mr. Kamran Lashari, the CEO of Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, Mr. Salman Beg, and representatives of the conservation team, the Masjid Wazir Khan , and the community were present on the occasion.

“Sites like the Wazir Khan Mosque Chowk in Lahore’s historic old city are a testament to the city’s rich and multilayered history,” said Consul General Kennedy Trudeau.

She further stated that the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation supported the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression in countries around the world. She hoped that this project will serve as enduring sign of the respect the Americans have for Pakistan, its culture, and its people. “It is fitting that this grand opening takes place as Pakistan celebrates its 70th anniversary as a nation. Pakistan Zindabad!”, she observed.

The restoration took place from October 2015 to May 2017 in partnership with the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan and the Walled City of Lahore Authority. The project consisted of digging 2.5 meters to separate the existing street level and the original ground level of the forecourt of the Chowk . It also included the conservation of the Dina Nath Well, a public well located in the northeast section of the square.

The Chowk will now return to its original function as a public space and will increase tourism and economic growth for the surrounding community. With $1.19 million in funding, the restoration of the Chowk of Wazir Khan Mosque is the largest AFCP project in Pakistan.

The AFCP is a U.S. government sponsored initiative that has awarded $55 million since 2001 in support of more than 870 projects in 125 countries. The U.S. Mission has worked with federal and provincial governments and other partners on a total of 19 grants throughout Pakistan since the fund’s establishment.

Description
The movie, Afghanistan: Hope Takes Root, presents the conservation and cultural work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) since it became active in Afghanistan in 2002. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Afghanistan designs and implements cultural heritage and restoration projects to promote Afghan culture and makes historical sites, landscapes, and residential quarters safe and usable. To date, AKTC has restored over 145 individual heritage sites, ensuring their continued use by future generations and helping to preserve Afghan cultural identity. These projects, undertaken in coordination with local communities, are a means to invest in access improvements, infrastructure upgrading, and vocation training, which contribute to improving quality of life and socio-economic opportunities for local residents.

HYDERABAD: The state department of Archaeology and Museums on Wednesday signed an MoU with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) . Taking forward the agreement that was signed by the Trust and the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government in 2013, for conservation of Quli Qutb Shahi Tombs, this MoU is for the second phase. The first phase of the plan will end in January 2018.

B Venkatesham, Telangana tourism secretary, signed the MoU with Luis Monreal, general manager of AKTC in the presence of NR Visalatchy, director of archaeology and museums and Ratish Nanda, CEO of the Trust, India. The tourism secretary said that though the works were scheduled to be completed by 2023, with 60 per cent of the restoration and conservation works already done, the project might be completed by 2021-22 itself.